Car-fender



P. MGMENAMIN.

2Sheet s-Sheet 1.

CAR FENDER.

Patented Mar. 31,1896.

ANDREW BJSRMAM. PHOTO'LITNQWASHIIN GION. D C.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

P. MOMENAMIN w CAR FENDER.

No. 557,145. Patented Mar. 31, 1896.

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AN DREW RGRANAM. PHOTO-LI'I'HQWASHINGTONJQ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER MOMENAMIN, OF JERSEY CITY, NEIV JERSEY.

CAR-FENDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 557,145, dated March31, 1896.

Application filed April 26,1895. Serial No. 547,234. (No model) To allwhom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, PETER MCMENAMIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at J ersey City, in the county of Hudson and State of NewJersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inOar-Fenders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to car-fenders, and more particularly to that classof street-car fenders which have a cushioned device or net spread infront of the car.

My object is to provide a fender of this description which shallconstantly maintain a uniform distance from the tracks independently ofthe rocking movement or endwise pitch of the car-body; also to providebetter means for cushioning the fender; also, to provide a lightdetachable fender and supporting-frame for the same rigidly attached tothe truck and projecting at each end of the car; also,.to provide anovel form of fender of this class which shall be better adapted to meetthe requirements of a crowded street.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure lis a side elevation showing my car-fender and itssupporting-frame attached to a car-truck. Fig. 2 is a top plan View ofthe car-fender and supporting-frame attached to a car-truck, thecar-body being removed. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the frame forsupporting the fender. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the verticalportion of the fender-frame broken away. Figs. 5, 6, and 7 are detailviews.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, A denotes the car-body, Bthe dashboard, and O the car-truck.

D denotes longitudinal iron supports attached at their inner ends to thecar-truck, and extend forwardly under the car body and platform andproject in front of the dashboard. Said supports are angular in shape,six in number, and arranged at equal distances apart where theconstruction of the coupling or other attachments under the carfloorwill permit; otherwise they may be arranged at unequal distances.

D denotes diagonal braces secured to the under side of supports D, asshown in Fig. 2 and D denotes side braces secured to the inner end ofthe lower and to the outer end of the upper supports D, as shown in Fig.1, upon each side. v

Ddenotes an upright frame rigidly bolted to the supports D, and formwith said supports a suspending-frame, to which the fender proper isdetachably connected.

The drawings show but one end of a car provided with thefender-supporting frame,

as it is deemed unnecessary to show the same 7 in duplicate attached toeach end of a cartruck. The frame D, as shown in Fig. 3, consists of twoparallel transverse bars D D angular in shape and bolted to the supportsD by the nuts (1, the bar D bearing on the lower supports D. Said barsare held in parallel relation and braced together by short braces 61 Ddenotes four upright supports forming part of said frame D and havetheir ends bent at right angles and rigidly secured to the upper side ofthe bar D and to the under side of a transverse supporting-rail D havingits ends bent upwardly, forming lugs d (1 denotes a series of lugs, theintermediate ones being formed of short angle-irons, and the end onesare formed by one of said angleirons and the outwardly-bent ends of thebar D as shown in Fig. 2. Said lugs are perforated to receive a longbolt D", (shown detached in Fig. 7,) and serves, as hereinafterdescribed, to'form a detachable connection for the fender.

E denotes the fender-frame, the upright portion of which consists offour upright angular pieces E E E E supporting two horizontal bars E e.Said uprights are held together by diagonal and transverse braces andsecured by bolts, as. shown in Fig. 4. The horizontal bars E e aresecured together and braced in position to the upper portion of thefender-frame by bolts 6 The upright side pieces E E are provided withhangers E E which hook over the rail D and fit snugly between the lugs(1 61 E E E E denote four outwardly-projecting arms of the fender-frame,angular in shape and formed integral with the said four 100 upright armsand inclined downwardly therefrom until they reach a point near theouter (Shown in Fig. 6.)

end of the fender, where they are bent upwardly. The side arms E Eextend only a short distance, where they are joined to two diagonalpieces E E at each side of the fender or formed integral therewith. Saidpieces are bent upwardly near their outer ends, giving an upwardinclination at the outer end of the fender, as shown in Fig. 1.

ll denotes the end piece of the fenderframe, joined to the outer ends ofthe diag0- nal pieces.

E E denote two diagonal braces secured to the side pieces E E at theirinner ends and to a transverse brace at their outer ends. E denotes thetransverse brace connecting said diagonal braces, and E denote ironssecuring the braces and arms together.

F denotes a series of upright flat steel springs extending across thetop of the fender the entire width of the same and clamped under the barE and between it and the bar 6, as shown in section in Fig. 6. Saidsprings project above said bar and are bowed forwardly and downwardly,their free ends being rounded or bent inwardly and impinging upon aseries of longitudinal strips, as hereinafter described. F denotes aseries of transverse strips, of rubber, canvas, leather, or othermaterial, secured to said springs in close proximity upon the outerbowed side, forming, together with said springs, a yieldin g cushion andserving to prevent contact of a person with the upper part of thedashboard and fender-frame or its supporting-frame.

G denotes a series of longitudinal strips, of rubber or other suitablematerial, having their inner ends doubled around said bar e, as shown inFig. 6, and sewed or otherwise fastened to the body of the strips andclamped under the bar E by suitable bolts and nuts passing through saidslat and bar. The outer ends of said strips are likewise secured to theouter diagonal sides and straight end piece by slats f f f. Said stripsare about two and a half inches wide and are arranged about a half-inchapart. They are attached independently of each other by their ends only,having no side support, the effect of which is that the strips whichreceive the weight of the person will yield thereto, break the fall, andshield the person from contact with the dashboard, fender-frame, or itssupporting-frame. Again, as said strips are attached without sidesupport they are allowed to yield further and conform more readily tothe impact of the person.

H denotes a series of short vertical strips secured at their lower endsaround slats f f f and fastened in a manner similar to the strips G andbolted to the braces E E and E, as shown in Fig. 5. The upper ends ofthe strip II are sewed or otherwise secured to the strips G and stretchthem taut, forming at the outer end and sides of the fender a cushionedseat, but chiefly serving to depress the strips G and form a shelf-likeportion at the sides and end of the fender which would intercept aperson rolling 01?.

j denotes rubber tubing through which the diagonal pieces E E and endpiece E are threaded. Said tubing is provided with slits to admit thepassage of the bolts uniting the slats f f f to said pieces. The edgesof the slits areclosed over the bolts and thus cushion the same.

To attach the fender to its supporting-frame, the hangers E are firsthooked over the rail D of said frame between the lugs d (1 Then thelower ends of the upright pieces of the fender-frame areplaced in thelugs C1 The bolt D is then threaded through the perforations in saidlugs and secured in position by keys d To detach the fender, itis onlynecessary to detach the bolt from said lugs and lift the fender upwarduntil the hangers clear the rail. It will be seen from the plan view ofmy fender shown in Fig. 2 that I avoid sharp angles and make theproject-ing part of the frame in obtuse angles. The outer end piece ismade sufliciently wide to hold a person, or, should it trip him, tothrow the body back at the central portion of the fender. The diagonalsides would either move a prostrate body to one side or receive it atthe side of the fender on the strips G. Said end piece and diagonalsides approach close to the pavement and rails, and would either pick upa person or move him to one side.

Another advantage of the diagonal sides is to prevent the fenderprojecting too near the inside rail of the next track, or in trippingaperson or striking a vehicle in rounding a curve, and it also allows therear sides of the fender to extend to the outer sides of the carsteps,and lessen the liability of the outer end of the fender striking personspassing closely in front of the car.

It is evident that the cushion, formed of the springs F and strips F,which projects above the strips G, enables me to decrease the height andweight of the fender and fendersupport, and moreover allows the strips Gto be given less slant or incline without exposing the top of thedashboard or extending the fender further outwardly.

IIa ving shown and described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a car-fender, the combination of the fender-frame, consisting ofthe upright portion having vertical side pieces provided withrearwardly-extending hangers and united by transverse braces,outwardly-projecting side arms formed integral, the diagonal side piecesconnected thereto, and the straight end piece connected to said diagonalpieces, substantially as shown and described.

2. In a detachable car-fender, the combination of the fender-supportconsisting of longitudinal bars attached to the car-truck and a verticalportion secured to said bars and projecting in front of the car, and afender having hangers adapted to be hooked to 4 said vertical portion atthe top and means for securing said fender to the lower end of saidfender-support, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination with a car-fender, of a cushioning device consistingof a series of longitudinal strips of yielding material se-. curedindependently of each other by their ends to the inner and outer endsand diagonal sides of the fender-frame, and having also secured neartheir outer ends a series of taut vertical strips, substantially as andfor the purposes, described.

4. In a car-fender, a receding cushioning device consisting of a seriesof upright springs attached by their inner ends to the fenderframe andbowed outwardly and downwardly, their outer ends being free and theirouter portions connected together by a series of transverse strips,substantially as shown and described.

transverse strips of yielding material, substantially as shown anddescribed.

v 6. In a detachable car-fender the combination of the supporting-frame,the fenderframe, the longitudinal strips G, and the re-' cedingcushioning device consisting of a series of upright springs bowedoutwardly and downwardly projecting above said fender-frame connectedtogether and their lower free ends impinging against the strips Gsubstantially as shown and described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

PETER MOMENAMIN. Witnesses:

FRANK HEYER, JOHN T. MELLOR.

